John c



J. C. MERRITT.

TOY.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-10,1918.

1,809,041 Patented July 8, 1919.

I JOHN C. MEIR/RITE. OF MARENGO, IOWA.

TOY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 10, 1918. Serial No. 249,316.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN C. MERRITT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Mare-ngo, in the county of Iowa and State of Iowa, have invented new and useful Improvements in Toys, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to toys, particularly to that type operated by trundling upon the ground, and has for its object the provision of a toy including a supporting handle provided with a ground engaging driving wheel, with which is connected a train of links and levers so arranged that movement of the driving wheel will impart to the links and levers movements somewhat resembling those of an engine. I

A very important object is the provision of a toy of this character consisting of the minimum number'of parts, which will be consequently simple and inexpensive in manufacture, easily operated and readily understood even by young children, and which will be generally an improvement of the art.

With the above and other objects and advantages in view, the invention consists in the details of construction to be hereinafter described and claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which the figure is a perspective view of the device.

Referring more particularly to the drawing the numeral 5 designates the supporting handle of the device which is formed preferably as a stick and upon one end of which is journaled a ground engaging driving wheel 6 pivoted upon the handle as shown at 7. At a point spaced from the wheel 6, a walking beam 8 is pivoted upon the handle 5 as shown at 9 and to one end of the beam 8 is pivotally connected, as shown at 10, one end of a pitman 11 which has its other end connected with the wheel 6 by an eccentric in 12. Pivotally connected with the other end of the beam 8 as shown at 13, is one end of a link 14: which has its other end provided w1th an eye 15 engaged upon a bracket 16 Patented July 8, 1919.

secured upon the under side of the handle 5. The eye 15 as well as the bracket 16 is formed preferably of wire and may be conveniently a screw eye. The bracket 16 is secured .upon the handle in any desired manner and is offset therefrom so that the eye 15 may have free play.

In the use of the. toy, the operator grasps the handle 5 and engages the wheel 6 upon the floor or ground, applying slight pressure to the wheel, whereupon movement of the wheel 6 over the ground or other surface will cause movement of the pitman 11,

.walking beam 8 and link 14, these movements somewhat resembling the movements of an englne. Movement of the wheel 6 over the ground at even a, very moderate speed will result in comparatively rapid movement of the pitman, walking beam and link so that the effect will be very attractive as well as instructive to the youthful mind.

It is thought that from the foregoing description and a study of the drawing the operation of the toy will be fully understood without further detail description.

Having described the invention I claim:

A toy comprising a supporting handle, a ground engaging wheel journaled upon one end thereof, a walking beam disposed transversely of said handle and pivotally connected therewith intermediate its ends, a pitman pivotally connected with one end of said beam and eccentrically connected with said wheel, a link pivotally connected with theother end of said beam, aneye on the free end of said link, and a bracket secured upon the underside of said handle and offset to lie in spaced relation thereto, said In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

JOHN G. MERRITT. 

